Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2020 / ia / Paper 1 / 7A (Differential Equations)

For the heat kerneldirect partial differentiation givesThus $K$ solves the heat equation. For bounded continuous $f$, differentiation under the integral sign givesWith $Y=(x-y)/\sqrt{4t}$,The Gaussian integral makes the weight have total mass one, and the dominated convergence theorem gives $u(x,t)\to f(x)$. This is the Gaussian approximate identity.

For the viscous Burgers equation with unit viscosity, the Cole-Hopf transformation $w=-2u_x/u$ reduces the equation to $u_t=u_{xx}$. To obtain initial value $g$, choose(up to an irrelevant positive constant), and set $u=K_t\ast f$. ThereforeEquivalently,and the approximate-identity limit gives $w(x,t)\to g(x)$.